It's Back to Paradise for City Council

No, literally. It would appear the Trinity River Audubon Center wasn't good enough for Mayor Tom Leppert. That's where the Dallas city council met last year for its annual retreat, a much closer-to-home and, at around $2,700, slightly less expensive alternative to '07's choice: the Garrett Creek Ranch Conference Center out in Paradise, which ran closer to eight thou. But the staycation's over: According to this memo from the mayor, the council picks up this week and heads back out to Wise County for an overnighter, meaning reporters looking to cover the budget-battling council during summer break are less likely to force the open in "open meeting." What was it Sharon Boyd told WFAA in June? "This council shouldn't be wasting money on bonding experiences."